Chereads / The Archaic Dragon Mage / Chapter 263 - Bonus 3

Chapter 263 - Bonus 3

The way that blood seeped around his stone skin, and the stiff way he moved told me he wouldn't live long. I wrapped my tail around him quickly, and tightened it just around his neck. I could feel the bones break, and his body go limp. I laid him back down on the ground gently, and kept walking. I still needed more power than what I had right now.

Humans were still strong enough to kill me if they had enough people. I spread my wings as I cleared the tree line up next to the tower at the top of the island. I debated on going back for the injured harpy or the centaur things, but the wolves should be more than enough for them. I jumped off the high side of the island, and circled the island twice from the sky. I scanned the waters with my infrared, but water seemed to hinder my infrared greatly.

I flapped my wings hard as I came down to land on the beach. I planned to go for a swim while I was at full health, and see if I could find that big underwater beast again. If I found it then I would kill it. If it healed I wouldn't be able to kill it in one shot. I'd have to try dragging it up to the surface where we could work at it together.

If it was still wounded then all I would have to do is work at it's injury. Keep it wide open long enough, and the beast would die no matter how strong it seemed. I walked toward the water. My form changing to the water form I'd used yesterday. My lungs pinched since my body didn't want to inhale the normal way once the gills sprouted.

"What are you doing?" Savannah stepped on the fin like membranes that grew on my tail.

They were more sensitive than my normal tail so it made me flinch, and yank my tail out from under her foot. She was ready for it so she didn't get yanked off her feet, but I would have liked it if she had.

{I need to check, and see if it's dead,} I started walking into the water. {I don't plan on fighting it again.}

"I'll give you an hour," Savannah snapped, "If you're not back in an hour than I'm going to paddle out there to get you."

My scales stood on end for a second when I heard that. It was suicidal for her to go out on the water with something like that in the ocean, and she knew it. I couldn't let her do that, and she knew it. I dove into the water. Not wanting to waste anymore of my time on talking.

She would chase after me. I could tell when she was lying or bluffing. I had one hour to find the big dumb beast. I swam as fast as I could. Out, and away from the island.

I spotted a shark, but the shark ignored me since it seemed to be after something specific. I whirled around, and decided to follow the shark. Sharks after all were notoriously good at following blood trails. I didn't know what kind of shark it was since it clearly wasn't a great white, and my knowledge of sharks was rather shallow. I followed the shark for a while before seeing the trail the shark was following.

The faint trail of blood in the water. My eyes tried to follow the trail, but the currents broke it up a bit. It impressed me that the shark was able to track it so easily. I wished he would go faster though. The pace we were going was painfully slow.

I couldn't really complain though. If the shark was chasing the beast I wounded then it was still wounded. If it was still wounded then I had the advantage. I could heal in a matter of seconds, and it could not. I checked the waters around me.

I didn't see any shadows in the water. If I did then I would have to watch it. The beast should recognize me since it had enough intelligence to use magic the way it did. A shadow slowly formed ahead of the shark in front of me. I recognized the beasts general shape, and the way it swam.

I rushed ahead of the shark, and saw several smaller shadows around the big beast. It didn't take long for me to catch up with it. It turned, and snapped at another shark that tried to eat at the wound I'd put on its back. The wound was still wide open with a thin film of tissue forming over the still broken rib. It was starting to heal.

The rate it was healing was impressive sure, but compared to me it was pathetic. I dove in while he was distracted by the sharks. Taking a bite out of that healing film of tissue before rushing past his head so he could see me. I could practically feel the beasts rage as it snapped after me. It couldn't keep up with me as we both surged ahead of the sharks.

The beast was barely keeping up with me, but I was just playing with the damn thing. It would die if I just bided my time. I didn't have to kill it myself. I just wanted to. I did a complete one eighty, and went straight toward the beast instead of away.

Dodging his teeth, and ripping another chunk out of him as I passed him. Choosing to widen the hole instead of go directly for the kill as I rushed toward the sharks. The sharks all frenzied for the fresh blood. I stayed just out of the beasts reach. Pissing him off that much more.

Turning what had been a life, and death struggle into a fun little game of death. I did another one eighty, and swam straight for the bastard again. Digging at the edge of his wounds again as I passed. Seeing something that had nearly killed me in such a state brought some joy to me. I wanted to see his magic again.